MacArtney’s to connect GreenLink at PacWave South for testing marine energy technologies

MacArtney Underwater Technology Group’s GreenLink terminations will connect technology at PacWave South (PWS), an Oregon State University platform for testing marine energy devices in open-ocean environments to advance wave energy as a reliable power source.

Oregon State University provides infrastructure through PWS, a full-scale test facility with offshore test berths, supporting U.S. and international innovators in integrating alternative power sources into the electricity grid. 

The project received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance carbon-free wave energy conversion (WEC) technologies. PWS spans two square nautical miles and is licensed for testing up to 20 commercial-scale WECs, said MacArtney.

OSU and marine contractor RT Casey partnered with MacArtney to implement the GreenLink dry-mate solution for connecting PWS’s subsea power and fiber optic cables to the shore-based facility, ensuring reliable grid connectivity. This will terminate four PWS subsea power and fibre optic cables, and connect client-supplied dynamic cables or umbilicals, said MacArtney.

MacArtney technicians will assist in installing and testing the GreenLink terminations at Nexans in Norway. RT Casey will oversee the installation and testing of GreenLink terminations on the subsea cables at the factory in Norway, handle transportation to Oregon, and ensure safe installation from their vessel to the seabed for future system connectivity.

“We have a proven concept and a proven connector for harsh marine conditions already operative in global projects. Our end-to-end approach – from concept to installation – ensures we supply fit-for-purpose solutions based on years of research, development, and field deployment,” said Don Bryan, General Manager at MacArtney, Pacific Northwest Operations.

MacArtney’s GreenLink range facilitates quick and flexible connectivity, suited for the grid-connected PWS facility. They efficiently transfer up to 20 megawatts (MW) of power from the berths to the electricity grid on land, said MacArtney.

The scalability of MacArtney’s solution makes it suitable for both large commercial floating wind farms and smaller systems, such as those serving small islands and similar communities in North America, Alaska, and other regions currently dependent on diesel for energy. This supports Oregon State University’s exploration of wave energy as a reliable power option for remote communities.

“OSU sought expert advice from several companies during the design phase of PacWave South,” said Dan Hellin, PacWave’s Deputy Director. “MacArtney was consistently one of the most responsive and helpful. We were therefore delighted when our contractor selected MacArtney as the supplier of the dry-mate connectors for the PacWave test site.”

Reaching its key construction milestones back in January 2024, the first utility-scale, grid-connected wave energy test site in the United States, the PWS now offers wave energy developers the opportunity to try different technologies for harnessing the power of ocean waves and transmitting that energy to the local electrical grid.

The facility has energetic waters, subsea power cables, and on-land infrastructure ready to use for WEC developers wanting to test their devices.